This invention relates in general to welding, and, more specifically to a method and system for weld process monitoring.
As computers have grown increasingly important in today""s society, various industries have increasingly adopted computer controlled systems for more efficient and effective control and monitoring of equipment. Industries using automatic welding have increasingly used computer controlled equipment.
Industries involved with automatic welding have turned to computer controlled machinery to increase the efficiency of assembly lines. One common operation on an assembly line is the welding together of components. The welding operation is often performed automatically by a computer-controlled welding device. Often, a determination of proper operation of the welding device is performed manually by inspecting welds after they are performed. For example, a pry test may be used to determine a bad weld that has not properly joined two elements. However, manual inspection can be undesirable as many bad welds can be created before a problem is detected.
The present invention provides a system for weld process monitoring. In one embodiment of the present invention, a weld tip testing element is described. A weld tip testing element is presented. The weld tip testing element includes a first alignment member and a first lever element coupled to the alignment member. The first lever element is further coupled to a first pivot and the first alignment member is operable to determine a first alignment associated with a weld tip. If the weld tip is out of alignment the weld tip contacts the first alignment member.
The present invention provides numerous technical advantages. Various embodiments of the present invention may provide all, some or none of these technical advantages. One such technical advantage is the capability to detect possible welding problems before many bad welds are made. By checking various elements of the performance of the welding equipment, problems and developing problems may be more quickly detected. Early detection of problems decreases the number of bad welds and increases the productivity of, for example, an assembly line. Another technical advantage is the ability to monitor weld systems with small throat distances.